Grain-treating apparatus.



S. D. BAILEY. GRAIN TREATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION TILED 001'. 5, 190s.

Patentd Jan. 5, 1909.

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S. D. BAILEY. GRAIN TREATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED ocms, 190s.

Patented Jan. 5, 1 909.

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GRAIN TREATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 001a, 1908.

908,831. Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

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STEPHEN D. BAILEY, OF WANATAH, INDIANA.

GRAIN-TREATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

Application filed October 5, 1908. Serial No. 456,326.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN D. BAILEY, a citizen of the U nited States,residing at Wanatah, in the county of Laporte and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Grain-Treating Apparatus, ofwhich the followingis a specincation.

My invention relates particularly to ap paratus for use in drying,ventilating, bleaching, or otherwise treating grain or the like; and myprimary object is to provide apparatus of the character indicated ofimproved construction and operation, of large capacity and capable ofconstruction at a moderate cost.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a vertical sectional viewof my improved grain-drying apparatus; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectiontaken as indicated at line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a horizontal sectiontaken at line 3 of Fig. 1 Fig. 4, a broken perspective view showing thelower portion of one of the compartments employed and the means thereinfor ventilating or otherwise treating grain; Fig. 5, a verticalsectional view taken as indicated at line 5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a brokenperspective view illustrating the manner of constructing theventilators; and Fig. 7., a broken vertical sectional view similar tothe sectional view shown in Fig. 5, but on a larger scale, andillustrating the course of the air-currents through the ventilating ap Varatus.

n the construction illustrated, A represents a building or structuredivided into four grain-receiving compartments, 1, 2, 3 and 4,surmounting basement compartments 1 2*, 3 and 4*, respectively, and, inturn surmounted by a common compartment 5; B, a blower having an intakeair conduit 6 and an outlet conduit 7 passing through the basement ofthe structure and having branches 8 opening into several compart mentsof said basement; and C, a boiler or heater equipped with a heating coil9 located in the intake conduit 6 of the blower.

The building structure A is preferably of steel and concrete, havingouter walls 10 and cross walls 11 forming the compartments 1. 2, 3 and4. The basement is divided into the compartments 1 2 3 and 4 by arches12. In some instances it is desirable to employ partitions 13 separatingthe compartments f the basement and having doors 14, en-

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abling the basement compartments to be thrown together. In Fig. 3, oneof such partitions, fitted with a sliding door, is illustrated. In theconcrete vertical walls of the building are steel uprights 15, in suchnumber as may be necessary to give the req uisite strength to the walls.I alsoemploy suitably spaced horizontally disposed corner tie-rods 16 atthe corners of the grain com partments, said tie-rods having theirextremities embedded in the walls. In the arches 12 are horizontalLbeams 17, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, forming a suitable foundation forthe ventilating devices contained in the several compartments.

In each of the compartments 1, 2, 3 and 4 is located a ventilatorstructure 18, details of which are shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7. At thebase of each of said compartments are located joists 19 upon which aresupported the ventilator devices 20 composing the ventilator structure18. Each device 20 comprises a series of vertically disposed scantlings21 arranged in the same vertical plane and sepa rated by spaces 22, asshown in Figs. 2 and 4; blocks 23 arranged in horizontal rows andsecured to said scantlings, said blocks having upwardly convergingsurfaces 24; and horizontally disposed edgewise inclined boards 25flanking the scantlings 21 and supported on the blocks 23. The devices20, thus described, are so located with relation to each other as toafford between them vertical grain-receiving chambers, or spaces, 26.Alternate rows of scantlings are surmounted by ca ing a ternate rows ofscantling are left uncapped. According to the illustration given, theventilating structures 18 are of wooden construction. As shown in Fig.6, the blocks 23 are preferably arranged in pairs, the adjacent sides ofthe members of each pair of blocks having vertical slots or mortises 28which receive the adjacent edges of the scantlings. The blocks aresecured to the edges of the scantlings by nails 29. Theedgewise-inclined horizontally-disposed boards 25 have beveled edges 30lying in substantially vertical planes, the upper inner edges of boardscontacting with the sides of the scantlings, as clearly shown in Fig. 6;The boards are secured to the blocks 23 by means of nails 31. The nailsemployed are rust-proof. It will be noted that the adjacent upper edgesof each pair of boards 25 are separated by a space 32, thus enabling-plates, or boards 27, and the remain' the air, or aeriform fluidemployed, to pass freely between the scantlings of each row. In thealternate rows of scantlings which are provided with the cap-plates 27,the air may pass upwardly as far as the cap-plates, and in the uncappedrows, the air may pass upwardly and into the surmounting chamber 5. Thejoists 19 are arranged in groups of three, as shown in Fig. 7, themembers of each group being separated by spaces 33. The several groupsof joists are separated by spaces 34. The intermediate joist of eachgroup supports the scantlings arranged above it, while the lower edgesof the lowermost boards 25 attached to said scantlings rest upon theflanking joists of the group. At the bottoms of the chambers 26 arelocated inclined boards or run-ways 35 which slope from the inner sideof the compartment to a horizontally disposed conveyer 36 (Figs. 1 and4) locatcd adjacent to the outer walls in the basement of the buildingstructure. "1 he bottom walls 35 of the compartments 1 and 3 slope inone direction from the center wall of the structure, and the bottomwalls 35 of the compartments 2 and 4 slope in the opposite directionfrom the same center wall, as will be clearly understood from l ig. 1.

At the lower portion of each ventilator structure 18, the boards 25 aresuccessively shortened to correspond with the slope of the run-ways orsloping walls 35, and from the lowermost boards 25 of the ventilatorstructure, vertical walls or partitions 37 are extended downwardly tothe plane of the conveyers 36, thus affording the conduits 38 from thebottoms of the chambers 26 to the conveyers 36. Beneath those rows ofscantlings which are capped by plates 27 the spaces 33 are left open orin communication with the basement, and beneath the remaining rows ofscantlings the spaces 33 are closed at their lower ends by plates orboards 39. It will thus be understood that air may pass up from thebasement through alternate devices 20 and must make its escape laterallythrough the grain in the spaces 26 and thence up through the uncappeddevices 20.

Grain is admitted to the structure through a chute 40 having a swivelsection 41 adapted to be turned to convey the grain into chutes 42leading to hoppers 43 having connected therewith branch chutes 44 withwhich connect other branch chutes 45 leading to the upper ends of theseveral grain-chambers 26 of the several compartments.

The fan, or blower, B may be of any approved type. As the air is drawninto the fan it may be preparatorily heated in the intake conduit 6. Theconduit 7 extends through the basement between the basement compartments1 and 2 and the basement compartments 3 and 4 and the branch outlets 8are equipped with removable caps or valves 46, enabling the air to beemployed as desired. I preferably locate in each basement compartment asimple arched wall 47 beneath which sulfur may be placed and burned uponthe basement floor to supply bleaching fumes when desired.

I have shown the boiler U equipped with a pipe 48 through which steam orwater may be forced through a nozzle 49 adapted to be presented at thehoppers 43 for the purpose of moistening the grain when desired forbleaching purposes.

rom the foregoing detailed description, the manner of use u ill bereadily understood. Grain may be admitted to the grain-receivingchambers 26 from the chute 40, and hot air, for drying purposes, may bepassed upwardly through the ventilator structures of the several graincompartments, the dried grain being removed by the conveyers 36. The airpasses upwardly from the basement compartments through the spaces 33into the alternate ventilating devices 20, moving freely upward beneaththe scantlings thereof and emerging laterally between the flankingboards thereof, passes laterally through the grain columns in thechambers 26 and thence up through the uncapped ventilator devices 20,escaping into the surmounting chamber 5, from whence it may be passedeither to the atmosphere or be returned for re-circulation. As theconveyers remove the grain from the bottom of the structure, the grainsettles down through the chambers 26, and is turned or stirred as itrolls and tumbles from one inclined board or ledge 25 to another, thusafi'ording an excellent opportunity for complete ventilation.

When it is desired to employ the apparatus for bleaching purposes,sulfur is burned in the basement compartments, beneath the arches 47 andthe grain is dampened by applying steam or a spray'of water at thehoppers 43. If desired, of course, unheated air may be circulatedthrough the grain simply to cool and ventilate the same.

When the apparatus is working at full capacity, all of the graincompartments 1, 2, 3 and 4 are employed. If, for any reason, it isdesired to employ a single compartment, this may be done. In such cases,the division walls 13 are employed to separate the basement compartmentsfrom each other, so that the air will be circulated through the graincompartment in use.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no undue limitation is to be understoodtherefrom.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a drier, the combination of a graincompartment and a ventilatingdevice therein comprising a series of uprights spaced apart,edgewise-inclined boards or plates flanking said uprights on both sidesthereof, the spaces between said uprights being left open to permitair-circulation, and means for forcing air between said uprights. 7

2. In a drier, the combination of a graincompartment and aventilator-structure therein comprising a series of ventilator devices,each ventilator device comprising a row of uprights spaced apart,edgewiseinclined boards or plates flanking said uprights, the spacesbetween the uprights of each row being left open to permit upwardmovement of air-currents between said boards, cap-plates above some ofsaid rows of scantlings, a compartment beneath said grain-compartment,and means for admitting air from said second-named compartment to thecapped ventilator devices and excluding passage of air from said secondnamed compartment directly into the uncapped ventilator devices.

3. In a drier, the combination of a graincompartment and a ventilatordevice therein comprising a row of scantlings, blocks applied to saidscantlings and having upwardly converging edges, said blocks arranged inhorizontal rows, and edgewise-inclined boards supported on said blocksand having their upper edges abutting against said scantlings.

4. In a drier, the combination of a vertical compartment and aventilator structure therein comprising a plurality of ventilatordevices, each ventilator device comprising a plurality of uprightscantlings separated by spaces, blocks carried by said scantlings,edgewise-inclined boards supported on said blocks and having their upperedges abutting against said scantlings, said ventilator devices beingseparated by spaces aflording grain chambers, means for forcing airbetween the scantlings of certain 'rows, means for obstructing theoutlet at the upper ends of certain of said ventilator devices andcausing the air to cross to the adjacent ventilator devices, andinclined run-ways at the bottoms of said grain-chambers, for the purposeset forth.

5. In a drier, the combination of a graincompartment, a compartmentbeneath said grain-compartment, means for forcing air into saidsecond-named compartment, joists above said second-named compartment,said joists arranged in groups of three, scantlings surmounting theintermediate joists of each group and located in said first-namedcompartment, blocks carried by said scantlings, edgewise-inclined boardsmounted on said blocks, the lowermost boards having their lower edgesdisposed above the outer members of each group of joists, cap-plates foralternate rows of said scantlings, bottom plates obstructing the passagefrom said second-named compartment to the remaining alternate rows ofscantlings, and inclined run-ways beneath the spaces between said rowsof scantlings.

6. In a drier, the combination of'a pair of adjacent verticalgrain-compartments separated by a central wall, a pair of horizontalconveyers at the outer walls of said compartments opposite said centralwall, and ventilator structures in said grain-compartments, eachventilator structure comprising a series of ventilator devices separatedby grain chambers extending from said central wall to the opposite outerwall of the grain compartment, each ventilator device comprising a rowof suitably spaced u rights, edgewise-inclined horizontal boards Eankingsaid row of uprights, and inclined runways beneath said grain chamberssloping from said central Wall to the corresponding conveyer.

7. In a drier, the combination of a basement compartment, foursurmounting grain compartments having adjacent corners lo cated at thevertical center of the structure, a pair of parallel conveyers locatedalong opposite walls of the basement compartment, means for forcing airinto the basement compartment, and ventilator structures in said graincompartments, each ventilator STEPHEN D. BAILEY.

In presence of W. E. ROTHERMEL, W. T. JoNEs.

